Gut Health: Making Sure You Truly Are What You Eat

It’s no secret: if you want to perform, you have to eat. And while food quality plays a big role, it isn’t the “end all, be all”. In fact, it is only the beginning. The process of changing the food on your plate into a usable fuel source is a multi-step process that can have resounding effects on backcountry performance. 

Fueling starts in the mouth. As soon as you take a bite of food, the digestion process has started. Chewing molds food into something that can be swallowed while mixing it with digestive enzymes. That’s right, the mouth has digestive enzymes and they kick off the digestion process. 

After being swallowed, food is pushed towards the stomach. Here, the intensity starts to pick up. Stomach acid and other compounds start to break down the food even further while it is churned and mixed by the stomach’s muscular walls to maximize breakdown. 

From there, the food is delivered to the small intestine, where the digestion process continues to ramp up. More enzymes from the pancreas and liver are delivered to help further break down all the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, setting them up for delivery to the body. Remember, except for a few compounds here and there, the food that you were chewing earlier still hasn’t been delivered to any working systems. 

As food continues to break down and move through the small intestine to the large intestines, it is slowly absorbed into the body. Now, the body is starting to benefit from that carefully curated spread on your plate from earlier. 

Not What You Eat… What You Absorb

The entire digestion process, from the mouth to the intestines, is set up to make sure that your body can benefit from everything on your plate. But there's a catch, your body doesn’t benefit until the beneficial compounds in your food are actually absorbed and delivered to the working systems. 

So supporting every part of the process to ensure optimal absorption is crucial. 

Assessing how each of the sections of digestion performs gives us an assessment of “Gut Health”. Though this term ultimately relates to the entire digestive system (source), many have decided to focus on a specific area, the intestines.

The intestines house trillions of microorganisms, most of which are bacteria (source). In the simplest of terms, these bacteria can be either beneficial or harmful. This balance has resounding implications for the digestion process and systems throughout the body. 

Beneficial bacteria contribute to multiple aspects of nutrient absorption and status. These bacteria produce digestive enzymes aiding in the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, synthesize vitamins and other beneficial compounds like short-chain fatty acids, and help metabolize phytochemicals (source, source).  Additionally, beneficial bacteria help support the integrity of the mucus membrane, another key player in the regulation of what is absorbed into the body and what is not (source).

Harmful bacteria, ultimately work against these beneficial processes and can hinder proper nutrient absorption and many other functions of the gut (source, source, source). 

That is some pretty strong logic, but high performance requires more than theory. It needs cause and effect. Luckily, a 2021 meta-analysis examined the effects of probiotic supplementation and nutritional status in healthy individuals. Despite the wide range of probiotics used and the duration of the intervention, the analysis showed that probiotics helped promote healthy micronutrient levels. 

In similar fashion, two studies (source, source) showed that supplementing with probiotics helped promote amino acid profiles in exercising individuals. Probiotic supplementation has been shown to promote a healthy gut biome. Each of these three studies points to this benefit as a potential reason for the changes in nutritional status. 

While these articles demonstrate the importance of probiotic supplementation, they drive home a bigger point. A healthy gut microbiome promotes nutrient absorption (source). Meaning, a healthy gut environment is crucial for ensuring optimal fueling. If optimal fueling means optimal performance, optimal gut health is a cornerstone of optimal performance. 

5 Healthy ways to support gut health 

Eat Fermented Food, like yogurt, kimchi, and kefir, to help supply probiotics to the gut where they can support a healthy gut microbiome. By promoting a balanced gut environment, fermented foods contribute to better digestion and nutrient absorption (source).

Supplementing with Probiotics is a direct way to deliver beneficial bacteria to the gut, promoting a balanced microbiome. Specific strains like Lactobacillus acidophilus can support a healthy gut microbiome which can lead to multiple benefits, including digestive processes (source). 

Supplementing with Glutamine can promote gut health by nourishing the intestinal lining. As a vital amino acid, glutamine plays a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity of the gut barrier while supporting a balanced microbial environment in the intestines, ultimately contributing to overall digestive wellness. (source)

Fiber consumption is a cornerstone of optimal gut and digestion health (source). So much so that it is internationally recommended that you eat at least 25 grams daily. Foods like bran muffins, broccoli, psyllium husk, legumes, and apples (with the skin) are some great sources of fiber. Supplements can help fill in the gaps and make sure that daily consumption meets the recommendations. 

Maintaining Healthy Stress Levels can help support a healthy gut environment. Research has shown a connection between mental stress levels and the gut environment. Maintaining healthy stress levels means maintaining a healthy gut environment. One easy way to help regulate stress is simply walking in nature (source), a no-brainer for the avid outdoorsman. As little as 10 minutes outdoors can help support a positive mood which can have resounding effects on your gut environment and function.

While eating quality food is a key factor in ensuring optimal performance in the backcountry, it is only the start. You are only as good as the nutrients you absorb. See optimized fueling all the way through. Maintain a healthy gut environment and get the most out of your plate.